My wife and I are visiting Bend and the couple we are visiting don't really golf. We are looking for a good course and a GREAT value - any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

golf magazine suggests tetherow in bend! ive heard good things about it too form other poeple. no idea on value though.

There is a tremendous amount of great golf in Bend. I would say there is not much in the way of "value". Crosswater (in Sunriver) is one of my favorite golf courses I have ever played, but it is certainly not a value. Some of the small towns around Bend have some good golf also. Aspen Lakes in Sisters, Juniper in Redmond and Meadow Lakes in Prineville come to mind. All are worth a bit of a drive from Bend (30 mins or so). Personally, I'm not a fan of Lost Tracks or Rivers Edge.

Tetherow was mentioned and is supposed to be outstanding. It was built after I moved from the area so I haven't played it personally. It's supposed to be like Bandon Dunes, only set in the mountains. I will definitely be making a visit there the next time I'm in town.

Either way, enjoy your trip. Bend is a great town. I would kill for a hamburger at the Pilot Butte Drive In or sourdough scones with honey-apple butter at the Pine Tavern.

A big thumbs down for Tetherow. I played there recently in the Oregon Mid-Am. It is an AMAZING piece of golf property but they really need to do a lot of work on the course to make it more "balanced". The risk/reward ratio on the course is totally out of whack. Most of the holes you shouldn't hit driver. Pretty much the only holes for driver are 9 and 18. The rest you should be hitting fairway woods, hybrids or irons off the tee to keep all the tall grass "eyebrows" and fairway bunkers out of play.

The clubhouse is great, the staff is great, but the course is just nuts. I have no problem with difficult. I do have a problem where you hit a tee shot 300 yards down the middle of the fairway and have your ball end up in a 10x10 fairway grassy mound that you could not see from the tee and you can't do anything other than punch out. That gets stupid real fast.

Since you mentioned value, stuff like Tetherow is right out. River's Edge is fine for a nice, affordable round without leaving town.

Juniper is a great course, I have not played there recently but it has been one of my favorite courses in that area for a long time.

Meadows and Woodlands courses @ Sunriver

Meadows at Sunriver is very nice, a bit more than value range, but worth it. River's Edge is a good course for the money as well.

Don't get scared off of Tetherow. It is an amazing course. Yes, some of the tee shots look daunting, but that is why you get a forecaddie with each round (totally worth it). It is easily my favorite course in Oregon and that includes the Bandon courses. It is just a great golf experience.

Sorry to hear that someone had a difficult time there. I wonder though if you have to hit the ball 300 off the tee at a links style course. I have been far more successful hitting low 3 woods that use the terrain and still roll out a ton. I guess links golf doesn't favor the bomber approach very well.

I would also suggest Aspen Lakes (a little north) and Juniper for budget rounds. Both great examples of Central Oregon courses.

Tetherow is certainly polarizing. A ton of people love it and a ton don't like it at all.

Thanks for the nice comments about the staff! I'm the club manager and work hard to assemble a fun team that takes care of our guests.

The Mid-Am was a disappointment for me too. I wanted you guys to play better. I'm sorry you had a hard time. The gent that won shot 151. The weather was a little sketchy, but the otherwise the course was set up pretty fairly. Sure, you could have played a soft parkland style course with tees, poa greens and a bunch of trees lining each hole, but what's the fun in that, 99% of the courses look that way in the PNW. Close your eyes, walk a mile and you'll find one.

A little variety isn't a bad thing.

I've heard a hundred people tell me "they hit a 300 yard drive right down the middle into a grassy knob." I get a little tired of hearing that comment. You may have hit it 300 yards, but it wasn't the right shot for the hole. You are obviously a talented player and know how to read a yardage book (which are free btw) and those knolls are all marked precisely.

A lot of Mid-Am players opted not to take a caddie. I wouldn't dream of not taking a caddie a course like St. Andrews or any other links style course. Knowledge of each hole is vital.

All non-member players are assigned a forecaddie to assist with playing which is included in the fee.

Again, sorry you didn't enjoy the course. It is pretty wild and not for everyone.

Cheers

Hi Martin,

The fact that there were at least 10 areas of the course (that I counted, there are probably more) where work was done to remove grassy mounds, grass bunkers etc. tells me that the course needed changes to make it more fair. IMO, there is still more work that needs to be done until it is "playable" and the risk/reward ratio is more in balance.

The fact that you have TOP golfers like Jim Dunlap and Scott Hval shooting rounds in the 80s tells me that there is something "dodgy" about the course. These guys know how to play golf.

If you feel the course is fine in its current state, then we will have to agree to disagree. I won't be back anytime soon unless I hear that more improvements have been made. I have 3 rounds under my belt there which is enough to know if I like a course or not (I don't).

No one I played with either day plans to go back. No one from my club (one of which was a +2 golfer) who competed plans to go back.

You have a spectacular piece of land, a great clubhouse and great staff. But if people are playing the course once and never want to come back, you seriously need to re-evaluate your "product" and the customers you want to attract and retain on future visits.

Perhaps the percentage of people that play Tetherow and love it are enough to keep the course a viable ongoing concern. If so, great. If not, then you need to consider making some changes so that the course isn't quite so polarizing.

I love Tetherow. I actually enjoy courses that make me play tons of different clubs off the tees. I found myself thinking on every shot about strategy, and I find that type of golf very enjoyable and rewarding. To each their own. i personally find, Driver/X/putt type golf to be predictable and gets old to me real fast.

As far as affordable golf in bend, I don't know what to tell you, everywhere I have played down there has been a spendy place or I have been a guest of people who footed the bill. Have fun on your trip, beautiful place.

I have played Bandon tons of times and many links courses in Scotland. I also like variety vs. the bomb-and-gouge golf that is so typical today.

Tetherow is neither IMO.

There can be no strategy on a blind tee shot with trouble in the landing areas that you cannot see. If the "right" option is laying up with a hybrid (200 yards), then why bother having the landing area at 250-280 at all? Might as well make it all tall grass out there if the point is that driver isn't the right play.

There needs to be a combination of risk AND reward and the reward can't just be dumb-a$$ luck. If you execute on a drive and hit it on the right trajectory and line, there should be a reward, and punishment if not. That is not the case at Tetherow in my experience.

Dpark,

Thanks for your comments. I agree the course is a "black diamond run" while most golfers seem to enjoy the "blue" runs. We are considering further modifications to enhance enjoyment for the one-time resort player, but don't want to dumb down the course like Bandon. Our members love it and enjoy the options each hole presents.

A well played driver (swing speed 100+) can be hit on 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 18. That's not how I play it because I don't take on some of the risk/reward areas.

Wind has a lot to do with it, but here's my play:

1-Hybrid - 250 ish
2-Driver, right side - (if it gets hung up, punch out and I still have an iron for my third to the par 5)
3-Par 3
4-Driver
5-3 wood
6-Hybrid or 3 wood to left side. Laying back presents a tough mid iron.
7-par 3
8-Driver at split pine. Either side will do.
9-Driver - par 5 swing
10-Driver. I only lay back if the pin is front left over the bunker and need spin.
11-3 wood - hard
12-3 wood - hybrid down wind
13-Driver - fade. If I catch it I will go for the green.
14-Par3
15-Hybrid
16-Driver
17-Par3
18-Driver - bombs away

If I'm not swinging well, I will lay back with some stingers and play longer shots into greens.

I vote for Crosswater... was lucky enough to play there in '97 and still talk about it today, from time to time. Long course from the tips...almost 8,000 yds. if I'm not mistaken, but flat out awesome. May be on the pricey side...but well worth every penny. Catch a nice day for your round, and you'll rememeber it for years to come...that type of place.